Businesses such as retail stores are constantly looking for ways to minimize retail theft or loss. One common way to minimize retail theft is to attach a security tag to an item such that unauthorized removal of the item can be detected and an alarm generated based on the detection. For example, an acousto-magnetic tag can be attached to an item in which an interrogation signal, typically transmitted at the entrance/exit of a business, will cause the tag to produce a detectable response if an attempt is made to remove the item without first removing the security tag from the item. The security tag has to be removed from the item upon purchase in order to prevent an alarm from being generated.
While security tags help reduce retail theft, improper use of a security tag detacher is an every growing problem that is inhibiting the effectiveness of security tags. For example, a mischievous employee may give customers free merchandise by detaching a security tag and purposely not charging them for items at the point of sale (POS) terminal, thereby allowing the customer to walk out of the business without paying for the items. This practice is known as “sweethearting” and can cost businesses billions of dollars a year.
A customer or thief may also improperly use a security tag detacher when an employee is not watching. For example, a thief may use a security tag detacher that is built into or attached to a POS terminal when the employee is not operating the POS terminal. Furthermore, actually catching the thief in the act is often difficult as the process of detaching a security tag from an article takes seconds.
Attempts have been made to curb sweethearting and other retail theft/loss due to improper use of a security tag detacher. One attempt involves putting a hard lock on the security tag detacher in order to prevent anyone without the key from using the security tag detacher. However, putting a hard lock on a security tag detacher is costly and time consuming as the security tag detacher needs to be constantly locked and unlocked for use. Another method involves using video cameras to monitor each security tag detacher in the store, but monitoring every security tag detacher is impractical as the security tag detachers are distributed throughout the store on different floors of the store. Moreover, monitoring becomes even more difficult during busy hours as security tag detachers are in constant use.
Also, even if monitoring uncovers suspicious employee activity such as sweethearting, proving an employee is involved in the theft is complicated. For example, gathering evidence to back up allegations of suspicious employee behavior is difficult in which the employer will be hard pressed to get enough evidence to actually prove the employee is sweethearting. The employer will have to review video of every instance in which the employee was working in order to determine all the times the accused employee was sweethearting. Such video review can be a very time consuming process and is made even more complicated if the employee worked at different POS terminals.